David Grier has been a hero of mine as long as I’ve been playing guitar. I spent many hours attempting to learn Eye of the Hurricane. So I was excited to hear his newest CD Evocative.

David had been talking about this recording for a long time and I was eager to hear it. He told me it was different, so I wasn’t surprised 24 seconds into the first song to hear the drums and electric guitar enter the mix. What I wasn’t prepared for was the unique mixture of David’s signature acoustic sound along with banjo, fiddle and other bluegrass sounds, woven together with drums, electric guitar, accordion, wind instruments, etc.

Evocative was released back in June of this year and has had all kinds of labels attached to it. Some have called it “daring” others “innovative.” I call it “Davidative.” There’s really not another word for it. It’s just David. You’ll either love it or hate it, depending on how open you are to things outside the bluegrass norm.

It’s not bluegrass, though David himself has trouble escaping the bluegrass in his blood. You can hear the grass coming out on every track, and I doubt very much that David would have it any other way. He just took the liberty of adding some new spice to the soup, so to speak.

Each song is different, some are quite and contemplative, others are playful and bounding with energy. Some are solo guitar, others are a full ensemble cast of musicians and instruments. The supporting cast of musicians is as diverse as the arrangements. Evocative features a line up of musicians from the likes of Stuart Duncan, Noam Pikelny and Victor Wooten to Jeff Taylor, John Gardner and Paul Franklin.

Regardless of mood or arrangement, David always applies the appropriate touch to his guitar. His tone is fantastic and his creativity is in full swing.

If you enjoy good guitar playing, you’ll want to put your ear on this one.

Here’s a couple little samples of the sounds you can expect to hear on Evocative.

Audiophile Audition has published their list of the best recordings of 2008. The web magazine focuses on recordings of interest to audiophiles and collectors.

Their 2008 Best of list doesn’t include a bluegrass category, but nonetheless, David Grier made the list. In the category for “Pop Etc,” David topped the list with his live CD, Live at the Linda.

The only other bluegrass mention is in the “Music DVDs” category. Where Bill Monroe: Father of Bluegrass (1993/2008) – Vision Arts Video gets a mention.

Congrats to David Grier for this recognition of a high quality recording and performance.

Be sure to read Audiophile Audition’s July 2008 review of the CD. Here’s an excerpt.

Except for the occasional audience noise and applause, this could be mistaken for a first-rate studio recording. This CD will appeal to fans of bluegrass, Americana, contemporary acoustic music, folk, or anyone who is a fan of fine guitar playing. Grier plays at the highest levels of performance. Highly recommended.

New CD releases have been few and far between this past few months. The labels tend to hold off on new projects after October, fearing that they could get lost in the holiday shuffle. Now that the new year is upon us, the list of new releases is quite impressive, and we’ll have reports/reviews on a good many projects for the next couple of weeks.

First up is Second Season, from 2008 IBMA Banjo Player of the Year, Kristin Scott Benson.

This CD has been “sort of” released for a few months. Though its official street date is tomorrow (1/13/09), Pinecastle shipped it to radio in late October of last year and had copies available for sale through the Music Shed over the holidays. The CD has already showed up in the Top Albums chart for XM and Sirius satellite radio, so you may have heard some cuts already.

There is so much to like about this project. Kristin’s banjo playing is crisp, clean and note-perfect throughout. The song choices – including four new instrumentals of hers – show her skill as a producer, arranger and composer for the banjo. The opening track, Kristin’s Don’t Tread On Me, and Bill Emerson’s No Steering, No Brakes have her tearing up the five bluegrass-style, while her arrangements of Sandy River Belle and Greencastle Hornpipe indicate her facility bringing old time and Celtic tunes into the bluegrass realm.

The vocal numbers mixed among the instrumentals are appropriate to the general feel of the CD, and all feature vocalists with whom Kristin has worked over the years. No Southern Comfort, sung by Josh Williams, is a real standout, as is Imagine That, sung in close duet harmony by Sally Jones and Mickey Harris.

As if all that wasn’t sufficient reason to recommend this recording, it also has guitar wizard David Grier featured on six of twelve tracks, and boy does he shine. David performs primarily in a solo setting these days, and what a treat to hear him in a bluegrass setting.

All of the pickers and singers provide first rate performances. Jim Van Cleve and Shad Cobb play fiddle, Andy Todd and Mickey Harris are on bass, Cody Kilby also plays guitar, and Kristin’s husband Wayne Benson is on mandolin.

With tomorrow’s wide release, you should be able to find Second Season wherever you shop for bluegrass recordings, both on compact disc and via digital download.

Audio samples are available from iTunes and Music Shed.

David Grier made a brief promotional video when he stopped in to the studios of WAMU’s Bluegrass Country for a live set on November 24.

After a brief promotional announcement, he launches into a flatpick version of Angeline The Baker in his inimitable style.

His live set can be heard in its entirety once more on Bluegrass Country, tonight at 3:00 a.m. (technically 12/12).